The United States on Monday called out Russia and China at the United Nations Security Council for "shamelessly protecting" and emboldening North Korea to further violate U.N. sanctions as Pyongyang pledged to accelerate building up its "nuclear force.

As thousands of North Korean troops deploy to Russia for use in its war with Ukraine, China is left particularly uncomfortable by the swift militarization of ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.

With 8,000 North Korean troops now poised to join Russia's fight in Ukraine, the U.S. is reaching out to China to leverage its relationships with Moscow and Pyongyang to "curb" the entry of North Korean forces. The U.S. had a "robust conversation" with ...